The mother of a Cork man in Hawaii is urging people to donate to help those affected by the wildfires.
Peter O'Riordan, who is originally from Ballincollig, lost his home and possessions when fire swept through the town of Lahaina but has since spent $7,000 of his own money to help those impacted by the disaster.
It has since been confirmed that 111 people on the island of Maui died in the fire, while thousands of people are still in need of basic supplies.
Deirdre O'Riordan says Peter travelled back to Hawaii from the mainland US when he heard about the fire and has spent his time helping in the local community.
“There’s looting,” Deirdre told Red FM.
“There are people looting the trucks trying to bring in food and water.
“There’s people walking around with guns, with knives, with machetes.
“Just imagine the town of Cobh, or the town of Youghal, being reduced to a pile of ash.
“Nothing, just a sea of ash - that’s basically what Lahaina looks like right now.”
Deirdre is also appealing for a company to sponsor a shipping container to allow Peter to provide more aid for the community.
“To get stuff out to Peter that he can distribute to the community - clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, sheets.
“Just the basic, basic stuff that people need to restart their lives again.”
US President Joe Biden is due to visit Hawaii on Monday to meet survivors and first responders.
Main image: Aftermath of the fire. Picture by: Alamy.com
